Wings
by K-C916
Summary: It wasn't normal for a dragonrider to fall for his dragon. But Roxas was never a normal dragonrider. AkuRoku, SoRiku, SephCloud, and various others. Contains and references mpreg.
1. Unrequited

A/N: My lovely, lovely, lovely big project. It's probably confusing at first.  
If you can't already tell from this chapter, there will be mpreg in it. The Organization dragons have been posted on my deviantART account(my homepage). (usually) Uncolored.  
Remove spaces!  
http :/ kaana-chan. deviantart .com /art / Wings-Axel-and-Roxas- 117111008

Also, this is just the(really short) intro chapter. It's kind of just a vague explanation that will get expanded on later.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue.  
Warnings: **Yaoi**, shounenai, **incest**, heartbreak, **mpreg**, dragons, **confusion**, transforming, **more confusion**, swearing, discrimination, **character death**, love/hate relationships, ideas pulled out of my arse, and **a lot of pairings**.

Main pairings: AkuRoku, SoRiku, SephCloud  
Other important pairings: Ansem/Jenova(weird, I know, but necessary), ZackCloud, Cleon, MarVex, Zemyx, Seiner, and Weiss/Nero(mmm)

**EDIT: **9-02-10. Some minor details changed, but the prelude will mostly be left the same.

* * *

There were many unspoken rules about being a dragonrider. These rules were ingrained into one's subconscious the very instant the bond was formed between rider and dragon. One rule, perhaps the most important of them all, was while dragons were your destined mates, be they male or female, you were not to become more than master and servant. It was commonly believed that dragons were nothing more than super-intelligent lizards that were blessed with wings, magic, and a breath weapon. For some dragons, this assumption was most definitely correct.

I've _always_ disagreed with that. I _know_ my dragon is so much more than a gifted _iguana. _But… I've always kept that to myself. I have to be accepted by the other dragonriders to attain my goal - to be able to find my brother again. The only problem is that my brother is a dragon. That's weird. Unusual. Strange... I know what you're thinking. 'That's freaky!' or 'But you're human!'. And yeah, I know. Yeah, I am.  
Kind of.  
Its not exactly something the Council goes telling people, but there are some dragonriders out there with amazing, superhuman powers. No, more than superhuman. Powers on the level of that of a dragon's. These individuals are known as Dragonbloods. They're... what happens when a dragon and a rider successfully mate, which, naturally, does not happen often. Hardly ever, in fact. Out of the thousand or so riders there are, less than fifty are Dragonbloods.  
I… happen to be one of them.

I doubt anybody knows outside of my family(consisting only of my brother. I don't know my parents), and seeing as how I've never told anyone else…. Well, I... feel guilty for not telling my dragon. But does he have to know? I think he has a right to, but… Axel would be furious if he found out I'd kept a secret of that magnitude from him for so long. I think he has his suspicions, but… the time we've been together, practically since I was still in diapers? He'd hate me for keeping that from him.

Axel is my dragon. But... he's more than just that. He's also my best friend.

(And honestly, the best looking dragon out there. In both dragon form and human form. Do you have any idea how hard that is to accomplish?  
Of course you don't.)

Anyways. I think I mentioned earlier mating between a dragon and a rider. The biggest reason why it doesn't happen often is because of same-sex pairing… though many find that irrelevant. The strangest thing is… is that if the bond between a male rider and a male dragon(same goes for female rider and female dragon), then whoever… receives during… copulation… can bear a child. Don't ask me how. I have no idea how that works, and I don't think I want to find out, either.  
Even then, a part of me hopes that one day I will.

The other big reason dragons and their riders hardly mate? Its against the 8th law of the Council for a dragon and a rider to love each other. To successfully bear a child, the dragon and the rider must love each other, must be willing to give their lives for each other.  
You can probably see where the problems arise.

Basically, the Council says that neither a dragon nor a rider should be willing to die for one another. But it still happens no matter what they say, but admittedly not often enough for it to be widely accepted.  
I know I'm willing to die for Axel... but I don't know if the feelings are reciprocated.

**Axel's PoV**

Yo. Name's Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized? Great. If you've met Roxas, then you probably know I'm his dragon, and he's my rider.  
He's probably told you quite a bit about himself, but I gotta say I don't have much to say about myself. I mean, we've just met and all. But I always have quite a bit to say about him, so you're gonna have to settle for that.

Yknow, Rox has always meant the most to me, out of _all_ the things out there that could be special and close to my heart. He's my best friend, and _technically_ my mate. But we've never actually... you know... mated. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. It'd be like I was forcing myself on him. I know he wants to find someone to love. I see the faraway looks in his eyes, glazed over and longing….  
I'm just a dragon. I'm not allowed to love Roxas, and he's not allowed to love me.

He has someone he loves though, and I'm happy for that. But it's not the type of love I know he wants. He's been looking for his older brother since we met. Roxy doesn't talk about him much, and I only know so much about him. The name's Sora. Blue eyed, brown haired, big hearted Sora.  
I knew a kid like that one time, but that's a story for another time.  
But I digress. Roxas' brother sounds like a likable kid, but I doubt he's even my type. Me? I like blonds. Short blonds, with blue eyes, the face of an angel, and a winning smile, with a great personality to boot. Sound familiar?

I could never tell him though. Like I said, dragons aren't supposed to love their riders, and riders aren't supposed to love their dragons. It's practically the Council's golden rule.  
Fucking annoying, I say.

Personally, I'd like Roxas to bear my kids. Or maybe I'd bear his. Whatever he was more comfortable with. Those little buggers are like... the ultimate expression of love, you know?  
There's a huge problem, though. To actually reproduce, the dragon and the rider have to love each other... Willing to give up their _lives_ for the one another.

I know I'd die for Roxas in a heartbeat, but I don't think... No, I _know_ he doesn't feel the same.


	2. Laws Broken

A/N: All chapters will start in Roxas' PoV unless stated otherwise. Dragon!Seifer has been drawn, but I haven't uploaded it on the interwebz due to lack of scanner.

Warnings: See chapter one

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue.

* * *

I need to tell my story from the beginning. Because really, when I think back on it... Everything started in Twilight Town. Back when I was part of the Disciplinary Committee.

The day I left with Axel was four years ago, a Thursday. The day was going slowly, the sun staying constantly at eye level, in a constant state of dusk. There were two times of day in Twilight Town, really. One was, naturally, twilight, and the other was night. After all, the sun still set and rose. Nobody ever saw it rise, though, as if a spell was cast on the town. Instead, around midday you'd realized it was twilight again.

Anyways, even though everyone was a rider and had a dragon(save Setzer and Vivi), they usually split up into groups. Hayner and his dragon didn't get along at all, and they usually competed with each other. The competitions were always menial things, ranging anywhere from a race to Struggling. Struggling was, and still is, the main sport in Twilight Town. The fighting lets them remember they're not just frozen in time. Despite that, it's a peaceful place if you don't count the constant competitions Seifer and Hayner forced their individual groups to compete in.

There were seven members of the Disciplinary Committee, solely because Setzer hadn't bonded to a rider yet. Some random short kid followed Seifer's friends around, but I can't ever recall his name. It was pretty unusual, though. Vivi, I think?

Despite that, Vivi and Setzer didn't form a bond upon contact. So, Setzer keeps looking. Personally, I don't think Setzer will ever find a rider, nor will Vivi become one. But you never know... Fate works in mysterious ways.

* * *

I felt incomplete in Twilight Town, with the Committee. The small town almost felt like a prison to me, despite the fact I could fly away with Axel whenever I wanted. It was suffocating sometimes.  
I had a tendency to walk through the alleys when I felt irritated or strangled. It helped to remind me that Twilight Town wasn't as small as it looked from the air.  
That never worked.

I was wandering the alleys and tunnels they day I left, actually. I saw something in them I never thought I'd see.  
It was the main reason I left, really. It roused in me such curiosity, so many questions, that I had to leave and search for the answers.

Seifer, in all of his draconic glory, sunk down through the skies. He flapped his wings a few times to steady himself while landing. I could hear the snarled, "Off," from my position just barely around the corner. I noticed Hayner now, sliding off of his position on Seifer's neck and onto the ground, just as the golden drake had commanded. Seifer's shape flickered, warped, and became human. His back was to Hayner, but he quickly whipped around and pinned the other blond to the wall. His face was cold but livid, and I couldn't help but wonder what Hayner had done _this _time.

"The hell is wrong with you, lamer?!"

A normal question asked by the blue eyed male. But this time, it was growled and low... I could barely hear it. I peeked around the corner again, neither of them noticing me. They were inches apart from each other, Seifer's face twisted in cold rage and his eyes positively burning, Hayner's scrunched in an infuriated mask of defiance.

"You just make me so mad, you know that, Hayner? What did you think you were doing out there?! You could have _died_!"  
Hayner's life, the problem? Since when had Seifer cared about Hayner's well being? I was always under the impression they hated each other.

"Why would you care, dickweed?"  
I peeked again, catching Seifer's face just in time to see it soften considerably. There was an unknown emotion in his eyes, but it looked so... caring. So affectionate. So... loving?

"I saved you, didn't I?"

Hayner looked away, face still pouting defiantly. "Only because your stupid morals won't let me die. You don't rea--"  
Seifer's index finger had been placed on Hayner's lips, the pout transforming into a soft gasp. His chocolate eyes widened just barely, and redirected themselves to Seifer's.

"Seifer...?"  
The words were whispered, just barely heard on my behalf. I heard a soft sound, an "Mmm?" of acknowledgment.

Hayner spoke again, whispered again. "What are you doing?"  
I noticed their faces moving even closer together, and I backed away from the corner, beginning to go the other direction. It was time to leave this place.

Before I left, I heard two more things.  
One, Seifer.  
"I'm 'doing' what feels right..."  
Two... the sensual sound of two pairs of lips and tongues sliding against each other.

I had left, perplexed. For Hayner, it would make sense. He had always been a rebel, defying most if not all rules. But Seifer... Seifer was strict, morals coming before anything else. Didn't he see how much trouble the two of them could get in if The Council found out...?

Those words and that unmistakable sound haunted me as I climbed on Axel's back, whispering to him that we needed to leave and never come back.  
He did as I asked, without protest.

I guess we didn't leave because I felt trapped, or because Seifer and Hayner had broken the most sacred law of the Dragonriders.  
Seifer's words come back to me again, and I know.

We left because it meant doing what felt right.


	3. Salty But Sweet

A/N: Probably the shortest chapter with a count of 599 words(excluding the A/N). As to why Axel's speech is in italics, that's because dragons communicate through telepathy. For those of you who are 'wtf'ing on the whole Warping thing, dragons are magical creatures. They can teleport because... I felt like giving them the ability :3  
Another explanation, first chapter it was six decades, this chapter it's sixty years. Roxas is 64 and Axel is 67. They're quite near immortal, naturally.

Warnings: They're in the first chapter. I think. 8D

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue

* * *

'_Ready?_', Axel's voice asked.

I sighed, shifting in the saddle. "As I'll ever be."

'_Alright. Warping in 3.. 2.. 1..'_

The world turned into a flurry of dark colors. My gut twisted as I fought back the nausea that always came with warping. Everything blurred and stretched, then snapped back into place like a rubber band. I groaned, half in relief and half in feeling ill, when those ten gruesome seconds were over.

We had arrived in Hollow Bastion.

The plated, red scales on Axel's neck clicked against each other as he craned his neck downwards, shifting our directions so that we could land. It was a graceful landing, his claws digging small rivets into the soft, mossy ground. I unhooked myself from the saddle and slid off his back, my own landing nowhere near as handsome as Axel's. I leaned back against his warm, scaled foreleg after hitting the ground, staring up at the sky. I felt him shift as he turned his head to look at me.

'_Why the change of heart? I thought you liked Twilight Town._'

I shook my head sadly. "It was nice, but... I never felt like we fit in, you know?"

Axel narrowed his glowing, acid green eyes. '_That's not all, is it?_'

I shook my head again. "No."

Both of us knew I wasn't going to explain myself.

I heard Axel sigh, then ripple just barely. I removed myself from my position on his leg. The air hummed, and by the time I had turned around, Axel had morphed into his human form. His hair was just as red as his scales were, his eyes no longer glowing, but still an acid green. He still had those dark purple reverse teardrops underneath his eyes, and his face was neutral. The air settled again, and I smiled. Axel smiled back.  
"I'm going into town. Wait here for me?"  
I nodded, watching him leave. I climbed into a nearby tree and rested on the lowest branch. The earthy smells of the forest, and the peaceful chirping of the birds, quickly lulled me to sleep.

* * *

Warm hands shook me gently, a voice whispering my name. I blinked slowly, waking. Red invaded my vision, and I recognized it as Axel's hair. A sleepy smile found itself on my lips.

"Hey sleepyhead. I brought some ice cream. Want some?"

_It was sixty years prior, Roxas being at the green age of four. He was sitting alone on a bench in the middle of the park a mile away from Twilight Town. He was looking down, and shoes stopped in front of him. Connected to the shoes were pants, and as he looked up, a boy. The boy had short, spiky red hair and violet dots under his eyes. Those eyes were of the brightest green Roxas had ever seen. In the boy's right hand were two light blue Popsicle sticks. The boy took one, and offered it to Roxas.  
"It's sea salt. Want some?"  
Roxas smiled, a shy, reserved one. The boy grinned back the crooked grin that he had carried into maturity. The crooked grin he hadn't smiled at Roxas with for years._

_The blond nodded, taking the stick. "Okay."_

"Roxas?"

I snapped back to attention, reawakening from my favorite memory; when I had first met Axel. Still, the memory made me sad, for it made me remember Axel's crooked grin that showed his happiness. He hadn't smiled that grin at me for years.

"Huh?"

Axel smiled at me, painfully not his crooked grin.  
"It's sea salt. Want some?"  
How could I refuse?


	4. Forever and a Day

A/N: A new species is introduced. Any made-up species probably won't come up very often, so it won't be too confusing. C:  
Axel's gone all sappy on us :3 And yay, this chapter is longer :D  
Review, please! 33

Warnings are in the first chapter.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue.

* * *

Three days had passed since we arrived in Hollow Bastion. They were quiet days, slowly passing by. Ever peaceful.

I couldn't say I liked it. It reminded me too much of Twilight Town, but this would be our home until we could find a new one. We rarely ventured into the town itself, choosing rather to stay in the woods. I didn't need food as actual sustenance anymore, but Axel still needed to hunt for himself every now and then. Sometimes, after returning from the nearby stream, I'd see him tearing into an elk or maybe a stray Karg. A Karg was normally a darker creature, with a feline body and an avian's head. The one's near Hollow Bastion, apparently, must have been born of tigers seeing as how huge they were. I really wasn't expecting to see any wild Kargen, especially here. Normally the creatures are kept as hunting companions, or just vermin in the streets. Wild ones are rare.

I still fished every now and then over the course of the days, mostly to alleviate boredom. Sure, I could always fly with Axel, but I didn't want to bother him with the saddle. Or the reigns. I wanted to give him so freedom...

He never really had any freedom anymore, I think. I think he thinks he does, but he's always trying to cater to me, to my needs. I think he should just take care of himself... But I don't know how to make it so... un-insulting. I don't want to hurt him, but I don't want him to think he has to baby me... Not that it's not nice.

I'm getting off topic.

So, we've been in Hollow Bastion for three days. Four in nine hours, actually. Today was when I entered town for the first time. Hollow Bastion, like Twilight Town, looked small from the air.

But oh, how wrong I was.

Hollow Bastion is _huge_. I never thought I'd come across a place so big. It was... freeing. Not at all suffocating like Twilight Town. I felt hope flare in my chest; maybe we would fit in here. Maybe we would find our place here.  
But no, that hope quickly killed itself via suicide. I realized that, no, Hollow Bastion is not our place. It was freeing, yes. Breathtaking, yes. But there was just something about this place, a foreboding shadow lurking at the edges of my peripheral vision, that just screamed _wrong_.

But Axel was happy here. He liked the residents, and I didn't want to be a burden. I already selfishly removed us from Twilight Town, where Axel was fitting in with not just Hayner's group, but Seifer's as well.

The thought of those two brought to me unbidden memories. Memories I wanted to forget.

_"Seif's done it again. Blaming us for something we didn't do! Doesn't that just piss you off, Rox?"  
Hayner growled, but his anger seemed fake. He was indignant, yes, but not angry. Instead of making a point of this, Roxas just shrugged._

_"Yeah, I guess."  
The camo clad teen whirled around, brown eyes glinting. "You guess? That bastard's so wrong... It just makes me so mad, man." To prove his point, Hayner swung a fist at the air._

_No, it doesn't make you mad, Hayner. _

_--_

_"The ice cream here is good, yeah?" Axel smiled at Roxas, handing him another stick of ice cream. Roxas had no idea where the redhead kept spiriting them up from, but he was fine with it. They were sitting on top of the clock tower, the rest of the group thankfully absent. Olette and Pence were helping Hayner with... something. Roxas really didn't know. Seifer, Rai, and Fuu never came up to the clock tower anyways, choosing instead to hang out in the Sandlot. _

_Roxas nodded, smiling his shy, reserved smile that was ever so rare. Just like Axel's crooked grin. _

_--_

_"I'm doing what feels right..."_

_--_

What did that mean, I wonder. What feels right?

Does anything feel right anymore? Thoughts like these always dominate my mind whenever I'm alone; whenever Axel's not around. I suppose its a worthless cause, trying to forget Twilight Town. After all, I just left three days ago. I think it might be four now. Time passes so quickly when you're immortal.

I suppose I should explain that subject, seeing as how I'm telling my story here. When you bond with your dragon, you slowly become immortal. You mature normally, but after you reach what would be a normal person's age of twenty, you just stop aging. Well, your body does at least. Civilians have always been jealous of the dragonrider covens, jealous of their eternal youth. While we are the sworn guardians of the realms, nobody ever really appreciates us. How can you appreciate someone who doesn't age, when one day you will become wrinkled, useless, and eventually die?

It's part of bonding with a dragon, really. Bonded dragons are slightly less powerful than unbonded dragons, seeing as how when the bond is complete, a dragon involuntarily gives some of its energy to it's rider. It's almost a host/parasite deal. A little less power for a person to be with eternally.

I've never understood that, if you're going to be with them forever, why you can't fall in love with your dragon(or the other way around). I love Axel so much it hurts. But I can't let him know that.

**Axel**

We've been here for three days. It's pretty boring, you know? Sheesh, I sound like Rai.

I kind of miss that rockhead. Sure, the constant 'ya know's could be frustrating, but the guy was likable enough.

Not as likable as Roxas of course. Roxas is the most likable person you'll ever meet... With those shining, innocent blue eyes... that are always shrouded with something I can't recognized. But they're beautiful. Got it memorized? And those golden, side swept, spiky locks... No gel used at all, completely natural. I'm only half listening when he talks about his brother, but apparently Sora's hair is just as naturally spiky as his own, maybe even more so. But Roxas has the perfect amount of spikes. Roxas is just perfect in every way...

I've always wanted to know what he... Never mind. I shouldn't be talking about that. I may love him, but he only sees me as his best friend, if that. I don't think he's really ever that happy. His smiles are always so shy, like he's holding some secret. I just want to see him happy for once, really truly happy. I want to see his eyes glow with mirth and laughter escapes his full lips, a light blush staining his cheeks...

What am I, a poet? I'm turning into such a sap...

But anything's worth it, if it's for Roxas.


	5. Mourning in Morning

A/N: Look, it's Cloud! I feel guilty for what's going to happen to him in this story and 'Mercury'(that's going to be the prequel to 'Wings')  
These chapters are so short lol

Warnings are in the first chapter.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue.

* * *

We had heard a rumor in the now two months we had stayed in Hollow Bastion. Far off, in the forests surrounding Halloween Town, were two Oracles. Fraternal twins, apparently. One as white as snow, the other as dark as night.

I was never one for rumors, but this was a new one, and it of course piqued my curiosity. But I knew I would soon forget about it, so I didn't think about it for a long time. Eventually, I did forget. I forgot and forgot until I finally remembered again.  
But I'll get to that later. This part of my story is probably one of the most important. It's when I first met Cloud Strife.

* * *

The streets of Hollow Bastion were quiet, for it was a Tuesday. Nothing ever special happened on Tuesdays, and that rule still applied in this rustic town. The sun could hardly be called bright, a constant state of fog always clouding it's light. But it was early morning, so dim that the sun's rays were as feeble as a broken old man. I had awoken that morning craving ice cream, of all things, and I didn't want to disturb Axel.

So naturally, I had to head into town to get the ice cream myself.

In the middle of the square near the ice cream shop was a man. He wasn't a very tall man, no, but compared to me he was. He had gravity-defying blond hair and was dressed all in black, a huge sword strapped to his back. One of his arms was covered by a long sleeve, and his (glowing?) blue eyes were clouded with some unknown emotion.

I could hear him muttering from my position nearly twenty feet away.

"I have to find him..."  
A shake of the head.  
"He's here, I can feel it!"

The man clenched his teeth, and I stared at him in morbid curiosity. He fell to his knees, clutching at his head.  
Those hands wandered down slowly and he just sat there. His head tilted up to the sky, and from here I could see glistening tears rolling down his cheeks. From his lips burst a heart-wrenching sob, and he began to whisper one word over and over again.

"Sephiroth..."  
More tears.

"S-_Sephiroth_.."  
Finally, he screamed in such lonely agony it made my own heart hurt.

"Sephiroth!"

I watched the man break down for a few more moments, my ice cream craving completely forgotten. Silent sobs wracked his body as he clutched his head once more. 'Why' and 'I'm sorry' slipped past his lips more times than I could count.

I turned around and left, feeling guilty for some reason I could not discern.

That was the first time I had met Cloud Strife.

* * *

For days after, I wondered who 'Sephiroth' was, what he had done to this man to make him act so.

I couldn't figure it out.

I was in the woods when I met Cloud again.

* * *

The sounds of birds whistling and the smells of the forest were ever peaceful, especially as I meditated in a small clearing I had found.

Silence was broken by the snap of a twig and a grunt. I turned my head, only to see the man from two weeks prior.

He seemed shocked to see me, his eyes red and puffy, probably from crying. In fact, the drying tear tracks could still be seen on his face.

His eyes had a faraway look in them, glinting with confusion.

"Ventus? It's me, Cloud. Cloud Strife?"  
He had a nice voice when he wasn't sobbing in pain. But I didn't say anything to him.

Instead, I stopped meditating and left without a word. He stood there for another moment, then proceeded to sit down where I had just been.

That was the second time I had met Cloud Strife.


	6. The Coliseum

A/N: LOL WTF IS THIS? Sorry for not updating, guys. I got grounded D: Horrible, I know. But it my moment of free time, I'm updating this. Hurray! Ugh, I need to go write the next four chapters now so I can upload chapter seven! Sheesh, damn grounding XD

A brush with death, no? Lucky Roxas, lucky Axel.

Shortish chapter again, lucky for you guys XD

Warnings are in the first chapter.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue

PS: I love you all for your reviews! -throws out cookies-

* * *

Cloud kept appearing in my thoughts for months afterward, even after we had left Hollow Bastion. It was a mutual decision this time; Axel didn't like the place either. We popped around several towns, spending the year looking for a place to stay. We ended up in a gladiator-esque area called The Olympus Coliseum. It was a quaint place, historical enough to make me like it and hot enough for Axel to like it. It wasn't as peaceful as Hollow Bastion or Twilight Town, or even Traverse Town, but it made due for now. Axel and I entered the Coliseum itself sometimes to hone our fighting skills in the gladiator challenges. Axel had to wear a restrictor collar since he was a dragon, though. All dragons entered in the Coliseum had to wear restrictor collars so that they wouldn't accidentally kill their opponents. Daemons and Satanites had to do the same, though, so it was fair enough.

We were probably the best fighters in the arena, Axel and I. Only a fool would challenge us, and that's not me just being arrogant.

Probably seven months later, after we had arrived at the Coliseum and we were officially the reigning champions, I thought somebody was going to challenge us.  
I'm glad I ended up being wrong.

He was only around six feet tall, and not very scary at all. But for some reason I could not describe, he was one of the most intimidating people I had ever met. He seemed to loom over everyone, even those that were taller than he. He had long hair, reaching all the way down to the back of his knees... It was the color of mercury, the color triggering something in my mind, but I couldn't figure out what it was. His eyes were a piercing green that rivaled Axel's, except his were... predatory. But... behind that deadly glare I saw something else. I couldn't... describe what I saw, but it made me feel ill. Guilty.  
Almost... sad.

His clothes were black leather, which consisted of a cloak, pants, and boots. He wore silver pauldrons and a brown belt under his cloak with an insignia on it I didn't recognize. He was wearing gloves and in his left hand rested... a... _seven foot sword._

Wow. I wish I had a sword like that. Think of the damage I could do...

Phil, the arena master, went up to the man. He gave him the once over, then handed him a restrictor collar. So this guy was probably a dragon.  
But... where was his rider? Was he unbound?

"What's your name, kid?"  
The silver haired man looked down at the satyr in disdain, a slight sneer finding itself on his lips.  
"Sephiroth."

The name was familiar, and with it came a fresh rush of guilt. I didn't know why, I couldn't remember where I had heard the name before. Sephiroth... Sephiroth...

--

_"Sephiroth..."  
"S-_Sephiroth_..."_

_A heart wrenching scream.  
"Sephiroth!"_

--

That's when it hit me. This is the man that hurt Cloud. I don't know why I cared so much; I knew nothing about Cloud besides that he was heartbroken and knew this Sephiroth guy.

Sephiroth looked up, straight at me, as though sensing my thoughts. He seemed to be searching my soul, and it chilled me to the bone.

I stood, frozen to the stop, as he sauntered over to me easily, with all the grace and deadliness of a jungle cat. He certainly toward over me, and I could feel Axel tensing to my left.

His voice was baritone, deep and commanding, but also soft.  
"Where is he?"  
I didn't know how I knew, but he was talking about Cloud.

I shook my head, words catching in my throat. The man narrowed those intense green eyes. They drew me in, cat-like pupils a stark contrast against his irises.

He moved to fast for me to see. I couldn't dodge the hand I felt wrap around my throat. I just hung there limply, stunned, before trying to ply off his powerful grip.

Axel snarled in outrage, and lunged at the man. I couldn't turn my head, but I felt the air being displaced and a grunt. Following the grunt was a crash, and I knew Sephiroth had knocked Axel back before the redhead could blink, causing my friend to smash into an urn. An urn made out of solid rock.

"Your scent... You've seen Cloud."  
I don't know how he could still pick up on that. The first time I had met Cloud was the last. Over a year ago.  
I pulled myself up, using Sephiroth's arm as leverage. He raised one sculpted brow.

I tried to speak and failed at it for a few moments before finally finding my voice again.  
"He... He was in Hollow Bastion last year."

Sephiroth's eyes widened a fraction, then his face distorted into an enraged snarl, but I had a feeling this was him suppressing his fury. He threw me, and I landed on something soft.

I recognized that soft thing as Axel, seeing as how it groaned upon impact.

I could only watch in awe as Sephiroth began to glow, nearly as bright as the sun itself. His neck and body extended, face expanding into a muzzle. His hair became a mane, onyx black horns jutting out from behind his temples. Once humanoid ears morphed into those resembling a horse. A tail sprung from his back, elongating itself to nearly fifteen feet and ending in a tuft of flowing, silver fur.

The glow dimmed, but was still bright as the daylight glinted off of Sephiroth's scales. His hind legs resembled that of a horse, except with cleft hooves. His hands were definitely that of a dog's, with black claws jutting out at least ten inches. If he stood still, he could have been mistaken for one of the most stunning statues the world had ever seen. In a burst of feathers, a huge sable wing appeared upon his right shoulder.

I watched, awestruck, as the Oriental launched into the air.  
That was the last time I saw him for a long time.

Axel groaned, and I realized I was still laying on him. I jumped up quickly, stumbling.

As I knelt next to him, we both asked the same thing.  
"Are you okay?"  
I think Axel blushed, but I'm not sure. I looked away, blushing furiously. I cleared my throat, still not looking at him.  
"You first?"

He nodded hesitantly. "Yeah... I'm fine"

Looking back at him, I tried to smile, but it died on my lips. "Me, uh... me too."

Fingers touched my face, and I flinched. Axel looked hurt, but calmed when my own hand came up to rest on his.  
His thumb stroked my cheek gently as our eyes met, but the... dare I say mushy look in his eyes quickly melted away.  
In an instant, he was serious again. "You're sure you're okay?"  
I just nodded. Maybe I smiled, too. I don't remember.

But I do remember one thing about that moment.  
I remember that it felt _right_.


	7. Paopu

A/N: A shorter chapter, but I'm sure you'll all be pleased with it.  
Because uhm... there's a green citrus fruit at the bottom. After it changes to Roxas' point of view for the second time.  
...Originally it was just going to be a kiss...  
This is the first citrusy scene I've written in a long, long, long time. Go easy? :)

And it's not going too fast. They've been in love and sexually attracted to one another for years.  
If anyone's curious, Roxas is wearing his TT outfit, minus the vest(pretty much a short-sleeved black shirt with checkered design on the ends of the sleeves and at the bottom). Axel is wearing something like it but with black instead of white/gray and no checkered pattern. His outfit is more form-fitting and he wears a sleeveless black shirt under his vest. He wears skinny jeans instead of the baggier pants TT'ers wear, as well.

Warnings are in the first chapter.

Also, if you're expecting this to be one of those stories with long chapters, look somewhere else. I'll rewrite it someday with longer chapters, but for now the chapters will be pretty short.

And sorry it took so long. I rewrote the lime like, twenty times.

To KiteFight = Thanks for the review, it made me smile :)

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue

* * *

The incident at the Olympus Coliseum had certainly spooked us, and we left no more than a day after. Phil could be best described as disappointed. After all, we were the best entertainment the Coliseum had seen in decades other than Hercules. Hades, leader of the Underworld itself, had even tried to get us to stay.

But we couldn't.

Truthfully, we had been putting off important things for years. I had decided, along with Axel, that it was time to search for Sora.

But I had no idea where to start. There were so many options... It would take me forever to figure out where to start.

But we eventually decided to first search in Destiny Islands, somewhere I remembered from my earliest memories.

The Islands were one of the most beautiful places in the world, almost completely natural. The only buildings were the odd tree house here and there. They were completely covered in trees of various types, and were probably about three thousand miles off the western coast of Gongaga. The ocean surrounding Destiny were probably the bluest one would ever see in their life. The skies were constantly clear, the only time there _were_ clouds were during the storms every now and then.

And like every perfect island, there were legends surrounding it.

One of these legends were about a fruit native to the island, the only place it could be found. It was called the Paopu Fruit. The fruit was in the shape of a star, most commonly a yellow color. It had a waxy surface, smooth to the touch like an apple. It's scent was a plethora of different fruits, consisting of mango, papaya, pineapple, pear, and the faintest hint of strawberry. I had no idea what one tasted like myself, but theoretically it tasted very similar to a pineapple/banana hybrid.

I didn't really believe in the myth itself, that two souls that shared it would become intertwined forever. But if it was true... I wanted to share a Paopu with Axel just in case.

Axel had no idea of the legend, so I doubt he would take it as a romantic move. Which would be good for me. I could... share one with him and he'd be none the wiser.

But I'm supposed to be here looking for Sora.

A little detour wouldn't hurt, right?

* * *

**Axel**

We're going to a place called Destiny Islands. I used to visit there sometimes when Roxas was asleep. There's this legend about this fruit on the island, right? If you share it with your love, your destinies will be intertwined forever (or something along those lines). I think... I'm going to share one with Roxas.

Me and Roxas... together forever... Seems like a dream come true.

But... he won't even... have a clue...

* * *

**Roxas**

It took me a few minutes of bitching about being hungry before Axel consented to sharing with me the yellow fruit that was in a tree not four feet away. We both climbed up on the bent trunk, Axel reaching over and gingerly plucking the star-shaped Paopu from the leaves. The tree really resembled a palm, when I thought about it.

Axel glanced back at me, turning the fruit over in his hands. "You're sure this isn't poisonous?"

His tone was joking, and we couldn't help but smile.  
I nodded, a smirk on my lips. "Positive."

I scooted closer to his warmth, peering over at the fruit. It almost seemed unreal close up. Reaching over, I gently tore off one of the points, putting it in my mouth. I chewed just barely, the fruit coming apart easily with a little motivation from my tongue. Axel, now curious as to what caused the blissful look on my face, copied my actions and ate a small piece of the fruit. A content look also found itself on his face. It was... one of the most perfect things I've ever seen. He caught me staring and I couldn't help but blush. I looked away, only to have a hand firmly grasp my chin and turn it back. Emerald met sapphire as he searched my eyes. I could feel my face continue to heat up. His hand left my chin and moved to my cheek. He tore off another piece of the fruit and pushed it through my lips. I chewed on instinct, not breaking eye contact.

I put a third piece in my mouth after swallowing, but forgot to chew(can you blame me?). Those pianist fingers that rested on my cheek moved to the back of my neck, rubbing small circles. It was now that I fully realized our proximity, my body pressed almost flush against his, our lips a mere two inches apart. The fruit was growing heavy on my tongue, and I had to hold back a gasp as Axel moved closer. Our lips never touched completely in that moment, but his tongue swiped that bit of Paopu out of my mouth. He swallowed it without chewing, still adamantly keeping eye contact. I was dimly aware of the rest of the Paopu dropping off of the tree, forgotten, and Axel's hand still rubbing the back of my neck.

He picked me up, placing me on his lap. My legs naturally moved to rest next to his, and I belatedly realized I was straddling him. It certainly took me by surprise, and I could feel my blush intensify. What happened next could only be described as Heaven.

Heaven, for I felt a pair of soft, vaguely chapped lips on mine. Stupidly, I just sat there, wondering what exactly was going on. Axel stopped and pulled back, looking a bit hurt.

"I'm sorry... I don't know what ca--"  
I cut him off quickly with a kiss of my own, unwilling to ruin this.

I don't recall when my arms had snaked up around his neck, or when his hands began to wander, but I didn't really care. He sucked on my bottom lip, and heard myself moan softly. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and affectionately massaged my own. I responded, humming in content. Soon, I was shivering and gasping softly as his hands found themselves under my checkered shirt, caressing my virgin buds. I arched into his touch, running my fingers through his hair.

He groaned as I tugged a bit, and I was beginning to feel a small bump from where I sat. His fingers wandered downwards, slowly, tantalizingly. I moaned softly again, feeling myself grow hard.  
Axel slipped his fingers just barely underneath the hems of my pants as I removed one of my hands from his hair. I rubbed his arm, leading his hand down further. When his fingers began to brush against short, wiry hairs, I took my hand away and placed it once more in his hair. His hand continued to slip down and down and down...

My breath hitched as his hand found itself around my now aching need, and I arched into his touch.

He looked up at me, as though making sure that I wanted him to do this. I nodded, whimpering. He moved his hand, eliciting a shiver and a moan. I could feel him smile as he kissed me again, Moans escaped freely from my lips as he continued his ministrations. He was pleased when his name was groaned a few times as well.

I panted hard, coming close to my climax. My forehead was on his shoulder, and with his free hand he steadied me. Bucking my hips forward, I came.

Axel smiled, kissing my forehead once before removing his hand and licking the semen off of it. He took me down to the beach and we both laid down, I on his chest. I could still feel his need poking into me, and I looked up at him, uncertain. He simply smiled, and I wanted to die of happiness.

He was smiling his crooked smile that I loved so much.

I kissed his jaw, my hand finding itself in his pants. My smile widened when he groaned.

My mind was screaming at me to stop, screaming that this was wrong, that we would be punished if The Council found out.

But my heart was murmuring and whispering affectionate things, telling me how right this was.

In the end, I listened to my heart.

* * *

We were both rather lethargic afterwards, and neither of us spoke a word. I curled up next to him and he wrapped his arms around my form. With seperate smiles, we both fell asleep, listening to the waves gently lapping at the shore.


	8. Better Left Unsaid

A/N: So basically I just submitted a story telling you guys I had selective writer's block.  
And then I promptly got smacked upside the face by the BRICK O' INSPIRATION. And I finally figured out what I wanted to do with the second part... which was the shoddy half-assed explanation of what's going on curtesy of Axel.  
Because Axel was the answer.

PS: The Fray is very inspirational.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue.

* * *

"...Who the hell are you?"

That's what I woke up to. It took me a moment to remember exactly what had happened the previous night, but memories came back quickly.

I looked up and around, finally setting my eyes on a cloaked figure. Axel was nowhere to be found.

I couldn't see the figure's face, but from the build I could tell he was male. The only thing I could see from under his hood were his bangs; a violet curtain that, even if his hood was down, would hide half of his face. It had a silvery sheen to it. I fancied I could see glowing eyes, but I was probably just fooling myself.

He seemed to be looking at me expectantly, and I remembered that he had asked me a question.

I glared at the stranger, frowning as I backed up a bit defensively. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

The enigmatic man snorted. "I should think not, seeing as how you're on our territory."

A worried voice sounded from behind me. "I don't think you should be so harsh on him, Zexion... This territory is only temporary, and he didn't know anyways."  
I turned around, only to find that the voice had come from a dragon. It... He was a light tan color with an ashen brown mane that stood strait up. His tail ended in a fluke and there was a shark-like fin on his back. The drake's eyes were a silvery teal, but they almost seemed to change color. They reminded me a lot of the fickle ocean, but I was soothed by the warmth radiating from them.

The figure, Zexion apparently, looked away as the dragon spoke again.

"I'm Demyx. It's... Roxas, right?"

I nodded, uncaring that he had figured out my name. Zexion spoke again, voice cautious as though just catching onto something. "Wait, Roxas?"

I glared at him, huffing indignantly. I was about to retort when I was cut off.  
"Yes. Roxas. R-O-X-A-S. Got it memorized? But you two should know that by now."

I turned around with a smile, only to have it die on my lips because of how furious Axel looked. I glanced at Zexion, only to jump when I realized the slate-haired man had gone through a complete change of clothing. Instead of a cloak, he was now basically shirtless. A silver pauldron rested on his shoulder, staying on due to a leather strap that looped around him diagonally, gleamed in the morning sunlight. He wore rather revealing leather shorts, but only about an inch of thigh showed due to the boots he wore. He crossed his arms, black leather gloves stopping midway between his elbows and his shoulders(1). He was glaring right back at Axel, though he did not seem as irate as the other.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see you here, Number Eight."  
Axel snarled, one that was inhuman, but not draconic either. His eyes were glowing lividly, a pale green light emanating from them. "I cut my ties with the Organization decades ago, Zexion. To protect Roxas, because you guys only made him worse!"

My breath hitched. The Organization? Made me worse? I ended up voicing my thoughts.

"What the hell is going on?"

Axel's rage turned off as though it was a switch as he tensed up and fidgeted nervously. Zexion glanced at me. "Stay out of this, Sora."

If I was confused before, it was now increased a thousandfold. "Sora? What do you know about my brother?"

Zexion smirked now, raising a brow cynically. "Oh, you haven't told him, Axel? You haven't told him the truth? I should have known... You always were a coward when it came to him."

Axel... my Axel... flinched visibly, refusing to make eye contact with the man. "Number Eight, I do wonder why you didn't tell him.," Zexion chuckled, "Unless you love him."

Suddenly, Zexion was knocked back. Axel had moved before anyone could even do so much as blink and had effectively given Zexion a black eye he would not soon forget.

"Zexion!"

Demyx was at the dazed man's side immediately, crouching down and nudging him with his muzzle. Vaguely, a part of me wondered why he wasn't turning back into his human form. Tears seemed to be pricking at his eyes before he whirled on Axel. "You know he's fragile, Axel! And you had no right to punch him because he _is _right. You _should_ tell Roxas the truth." Demyx's anger was brief. He sighed and shook his head sadly. "You know what he's been like since that old witch... So bitter and cynical... I've been trying to get Zexy back, my Zexy... because Zex_ion_ is driving me up a wall. You know what he did for you so you could be with Roxas. You and Zexy used to be good friends, Axel... what happened to that?"

The redhead looked away, spitting out his reply. "Why don't you ask Riku? Or Xemnas? Or, maybe... Ask Saix? They all had the biggest part in this. All I wanted was for Roxas to stick around instead of meshing him back together with Sora. But your _Organization_ just wouldn't have it!"

...What?

"Axel, we're a changed group now, you know? We're not interested in doing that anymore... We just want to be real again. Ourselves. Don't you want that for yourself? At the very least, for Roxas?"

He didn't have an answer to that.

Demyx sighed again, glancing back at Zexion. He began to shift into a human form, warping and colors meshing together before reshaping. Zexion began turning into a dragon, despite being practically unconscious. Two dragons, one rider? It didn't make any sense. It was... impossible.  
"He's not always this bad, Axel. He's been... sick recently. I don't know what's wrong, but he's been really weird. He gets mood swings and morning sickness and is always eating weird foods... I don't know what to do."

I continued to not say anything. Axel looked rather pensive. The other blond glanced at me before returning his gaze to Axel. "I know you and the Organization have a bad history, but if you guys ever want a safe place to stay and someone to protect you... you know where to go."

Axel sighed, and I had to assume that Demyx was talking to him. After all, I had not a clue as to where we would go. It was too late to ask any questions, though. Demyx had already returned to Zexion's side, and disappeared into a... black hole of... swirling darkness.

I frowned, looking up at my redhead. "Axel?"  
The answer was hesitant. "...Yeah?"

"You have a lot of explaining to do, don't you?"  
"Yeah."

* * *

**Axel**

We sat next to a fire, on pieces of damp driftwood that had washed up on the beach. Roxas was staring at me so intently it was like he was trying to peer at my soul, and I stared guiltily at my hands. I had lied to him, lied to the person I love... because I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want him to know there was someone else before him.

I didn't want him to know about Sora.

I sighed and looked up at him. "I... guess I should start at the beginning. I mean, that's where stories start, right?"

I flashed an eager smile at him, but he wasn't at all amused. Sighing again, I spoke:

"Alright.... Roxas... you were never supposed to exist--" his eyes widen and he glares at me, but I quickly continue, "--but neither was I."

"A long, long time ago a group of scientists experimented with the souls and hearts of dragons and their riders, and even on some innocent civilians. They found that if someone gives into the darkness in their heart, they become Heartless."

The Heartless were once just a small group of experiments, but have long since escalated in numbers to create their own coven. Vicious Neoshadow dragons and their Shadow riders patrolled the skies in certain parts of the world, freakish creatures called Behemoths guarded their most precious places.

"Later, it was discovered that for every Heartless, a Nobody is created... a person without a heart. These Nobodies banded together and created the Organization XIII, a coven you and I were once part of...."

He hadn't said anything yet, and the thoughtful expression on his face gave me a chill down my spine.

"You used to be something called a Somebody. A person with a heart. His name was... his name was Sora...," I murmured, conveniently leaving out a lot of other information about the cuddly brunette. "His memories were pretty much destroyed by a Modern Oriental(2) named Namine. She was being controlled by one of the members of the Organization. You... left the Organization after a spiteful argument with one of our memories," once again, I left out an important detail; the argument had been between me and Roxas. "You were captured by the dragon Riku, who, with the help of a Bound Daemon called DiZ... inserted you into a computer program that is an exact replica of the real world. People... after you leave an area, people forget who you are and remember you when you come back, because you're not part of the program. It was originally created by the Organization founders, but DiZ stole the technology. Both of us have been living in this computer program for years. I've been trying to help you regain your memories but I don't think we'll be able to do that until we leave... but... we can't leave. Only the Organization can and we both kind of abandoned them. Got it memorized?"

Roxas was silent for a long moment. Then,

"So, all this time... you've been lying to me, Axel?"

I couldn't answer.

"All this time, this entire life I thought I remembered... it's a lie? And you knew that?"

"I just wanted you to be happy, Roxas."

"Bullshit, Axel.," he seethed, standing abruptly. I watched him shake his beautiful blond head.

"You think you know a guy... and then this."

Roxas turned foot and left, though I knew where he was going. I can always sense him.

"I hate liars."

It's ironic, as I look back on it now. It was a conversation just like this that had caused him to leave the Organization.

It felt like history was repeating itself.

* * *

(1): Basically, the flying uniform of the Organization. Because scantily clad men in leather short shorts and boots that tickle their thighs are fun.  
(2): A Modern Oriental is basically a mix between an Asian Dragon and a European Dragon(classic dragons). They usually have antlers, slightly elongated bodies, partial manes, and fur at the end of their tails and sometimes at their joints. They usually have wings, but sometimes they don't, and often their back legs are hooves instead of the dog-like paws I like to put on my dragons.  
Also, in my honest belief, dragons don't have scales but either plates or a leather skin so hard it rivals diamond yet so flexible it rivals wearing nothing.  
Axel has plates for the most part, but most of the dragons in my little universe have the leather skin. I don't like scales : /

ALSO. Wings fan art can be found at my gallery on deviantART. (remove spaces)

http: // kaana-chan . deviantart . com /gallery /


	9. AUTHOR UPDATE

Sweet love above.  
Guys, I am SO sorry I do not update this fanfiction. The shortness of the chapters and the lack of interesting plot just kind of made my inspiration die.

HOWEVER.

I have met some seriously awesome people over my... long, long time of not updating, and so... I have good news and I have bad news.

The good news is that I will be rewriting Wings. Like, completely. Chapters will be sooooo much longer, I promise. I look at it now and I wonder... how did I ever think these were long chapters?  
So if that scrollbar at the side isn't bite sized, then I obviously haven't done my job correctly xD

I understand a lot of you like the story as is(plot wise)... and the bad news is is that I will be pretty much changing the plot so far entirely to fit along with the longer chapters. Rest assured, it WILL be more interesting...(I hope)

Anyways. I will still be working on Lullaby, but take heart in the fact that Wings will be worked on again, and that it will be rewritten and hopefully be a lot more interesting 3 Thanks for your time, and thanks everyone for your reviews and favorites and alerts.


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